Good elk tags are much harder to get, and good elk are much harder to find, than they are to shoot/kill. A .260 will absolutely kill an elk. But you won't see me carrying mine on any hunt that matters much to me. I've had only two premium bull tags in my career, and both hunts were more than a fair bit of work. I do everything I can to maximize my prospects for success, and carrying my .260 would not be consistent with that approach.
A ranchland hunt for cows--sure. A hunt where I am covering multiple miles and multiple 1000s of feet of elevation in a day, to MAYBE get one shot--no way am I carrying a .260.
